The Manchester City defender has been tested positive for COVID-19.
Portugal has dealt a huge blow ahead of their Euro 2020 opening game against Hungary as Joao Cancelo has to pull out of the tournament after testing positive for COVID-19.
The Manchester City full-back made it to the final squad of Portugal after an impressive season, helping Citizens win the Premier League and EFL Cup.
With the 26-year-old currently forced to withdraw from the competition, Portugal have named AC Milan star Diogo Dalot as his replacement.
Dalot made his move to Rossoneri from Manchester United last summer and has since made 21 appearances in Serie A.
A statement from FPF (Portugal Football Federation) read: “Under-21 international Diogo Dalot will join the National Team’s delegation in Budapest to prepare for his debut at Euro 2020.
The AC Milan player will replace Joao Cancelo, who tested positive for Covid-19 following a rapid antigen test carried out this Saturday by the FPF Health and Performance Unit.”
It was also added that the entire Portuguese squad had undergone an RT-PCR test, with all showing negative results except Cancelo.
“In accordance with the Covid-19 protocol defined by UEFA before the Euro 2020 matches, all players and members of the entourage underwent RT-PCR tests on Saturday. The results, with the exception of Joao Cancelo, were negative.”
Portugal become the second nation to be hit with the COVID-19 crisis after Spain
Spain were the first team to be hit with the COVID-19 crisis in the current European Championship campaign, with Portugal following them now.
La Roja have so far registered two positive cases, namely Sergio Busquets and Diego Llorente, and both are currently in self-isolation.
Spain manager Luis Enrique has called up to five players as a precautionary measure, and all are reportedly training in a separate bubble.
Cancelo will be a huge miss
Cancelo would have created a huge impact on the Portuguese side as he had concluded an impressive season with Man City. Pep Guardiola unlocked his full potential by giving him a license attack, and in the end, the move paid off.
Dalot is a decent replacement, but it remains to be whether he could be as impactful as Cancelo.
